Culture in 1942 (LORE)
= Prices in 1942 = * A brand new house: $3,770 (down from $4,075) * Average yearly income: $1,880 (up from $1,750) * A new car: $920 (up from $850) * Average Rent: $35 per month (up from $32 per month) * A gallon of Gas: 15 cents (up from 12 cents) * A Bottle of Coca Cola: 5 cents = Literature = Salvador Dalí publishes his autobiography, The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí Albert Camus publishes "L'Etranger" (The Stranger) in France, one of the most famous French novels and existentialist novels. He also writes the essay "Le Mythe de Sisyphe" (The Myth of Sisyphus), detailing the philosophy of the absurd through the Greek mythological figure who was condemned to push a rock up a mountain, only to have it roll back down, for all eternity. John Steinbeck publishes "The Moon is Down" in March 1942. C. S. Lewis publishes "The Screwtape Letters". He also publishes "A Preface to Paradise Lost". The New York Times Best Seller list is launched. Famous children's book "The Poky Little Puppy" is published, written by Janette Sebring Lowrey and illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren. It is the single all-time best-selling hardcover children's book in English. Edith Hamilton publishes "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes", which is subsequently force-fed to millions of bored High School students worldwide. Other famous books of the time: Terence Rattigan "Flare Path", Elliot Paul "The Last Time I Saw Paris", T. S. Eliot’s "Four Quartets" = Movies = Famous films of 1942: "Bambi", "Mrs. Miniver", "In Which We Serve", "Coastal Command", "Listen to Britain", "The Young Mr. Pitt", "Across the Pacific", "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon", "Yankee Doodle Dandy", "Road to Morocco". = Music = 1942 was notable for the ban on commercial recordings enforced by James Petrillo, the president of the American Federation of Musicians (the professional musicians union). Music was still played on live radio, and Decca and Capitol records negotiated to lift the ban in 1943 (other recording labels followed in later years). An unusual regional folk song that became a national hit, "Deep in the Heart of Texas" was first recorded by Perry Como with Ted Weems and His Orchestra on December 9, 1941 for Decca Records in Los Angeles, California, and spent five weeks at the top of Your Hit Parade in 1942. It was covered by many artists, most famously by Alveno Rey, Bing Crosby, and in the movie "Heart of the Rio Grande" by Gene Autry, all in 1942. Listen to it here "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover" is a popular World War II song made famous by Vera Lynn with her 1942 recording-one of her best known recordings. Written in 1941 by Walter Kent and Nat Burton, it was covered by many artists, including Glenn Miller, Kay Kyser, and many others. Listen to it here Glenn Miller had a string of hits throughout 1942. First was his hit "Chattanooga Choo Choo", which was number one for the months of January and February. Listen to it here. In February 7, "A String of Pearls" reached number one. Listen to it here. In March and April, "Moonlight Cocktail" was number one. Listen to it here. In May, "Tangerine" by Jimmy Dorsey was number one. Originally written by Johnny Mercer in 1941, it was featured in the 1942 movie, "The Fleet's In". Listen to it here In June, "Sleepy Lagoon", originally written by British composer Eric Coates with lyrics by Jack Lawrence, was number one. Harry James recorded it for a major hit, with other hit versions recorded by Dinah Shore, David Rose, Fred Waring, Glenn Miller and others. The theme was recorded for the British radio program "Desert Island Discs" (a program that is still running today, in which famous people are asked "If you are stranded on a desert island, what 8 music records would you want to bring with you?"). Listen to it here In July and August, "Jingle Jangle Jingle" reached number one. Playing off of the popular images of Cowboy life, it was covered by many big bands, the most famous recording done by Kay Kyser. Listen to it here In September and October, "(I've Got a Gal in) Kalamazoo" written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren and recorded by Glenn Miller was the number one hit. It is later covered by various jazz artists. Listen to it here While it debuted in 1941, "White Christmas" became a runaway hit in 1941. Written by Irving Berlin, and sung by Bing Crosby, it was featured in the musical "Holiday Inn", where it was nominated for the Academy Award for the Best Original Song. It was the number one hit between the months of October and December. Listen to it here Other notable songs include Frank Loesser's (of Broadway fame) "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition", which was recorded by the Merry Macs in this year. The unusual song is an apocryphal story about a military chaplain who mans a gunner turret during the attack on Pearl Harbor. = People = = Technology = New York's City Council outlaws pinball machines in a law that takes effect in January. The mayor La Guardia smashes machines with a sledgehammer for news photographers; most of the confiscated machines are dumped into the Atlantic. December 2 – Chicago Pile-1, the first nuclear reactor, goes critical under the squash court of the University of Chicago, thanks to the efforts of Enrico Fermi, Leo Szilard, and the rest of the Chicago pile team.